LAPPL rips Councilman Parks for running away from his own record

Contact: Eric Rose (805) 624-0572

LAPPL rips Councilman Parks for running away from his own record

LOS ANGELES, February 17, 2011 – Concerned that a recent campaign mailer may have hit a nerve, Councilman Bernard C. Parks is trying to distance himself from his own record on public safety.

In the mailer, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) blasted the Councilman for consistently voting against funding for new police officers, blaming it on the City’s financial constraints, while still personally collecting almost half a million dollars a year his pension and full Council salary.

“Since being let go as LAPD Chief, Councilman Parks has sought to get even by consistently opposing the hiring of more police officers to keep Los Angeles safe. In 2009, Parks cast a deciding vote against the Mayor’s budget, halting L.A.’s initiative to hire 1,000 new officers. In 2010, Parks ‘called for a halt to the hiring process’ and just last month, he opposed the Mayor’s plan to lease parking garages so that we can continue to hire officers,” said Paul M. Weber, president of the LAPPL.

After Parks’ 2009 vote to halt the hiring of 1,000 new officers, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa accused him of "devastating public safety." Meanwhile, Parks was preserving funding for his own pet projects and continues to collect the 3rd highest pension in the city.

“While Parks blames the economy for insufficient funding, he’s more than willing to continue taking $451,789 per year in pension ($273,000) and salary ($178,789) combined. Parks was also the only Councilmember to vote against giving $12 million from member-directed slush funds to the city’s budget, so that our city could preserve important services like public safety,” continued Weber.

“When it comes to this mailer, he can play with our word choice all he wants. Whether it’s ‘took off,’ ‘blocked,’ or ‘stopped,’ the end result is the same: Parks’ votes mean fewer police officers on our streets to keep our families safe. His record is crystal clear – it’s against hiring new officers, it’s against keeping our neighborhoods safe, and it’s for protecting his own nest egg.”

The more the public learns about the hypocrisy, vindictiveness, and selfishness of Bernard Parks, the likelier they are to echo the sentiments of LAPD officers who years ago rejected him as their leader.

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About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents the more than 9,900 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education. The LAPPL can be found on the Web at www.LAPD.com.